The Quinn Factor
by LauraADon
Summary: Quinn is the new girl. Her mother thinks she needs to make new friends. She sets up an afternoon to spend time with a girl from her church that also goes to her school. Yes it starts out with Quinn but is a Brittana story. A bunch of encounters that involve Brittany Santana and Quinn starting freshman year.
1. Chapter 1

The Snow Storm

Summary: Quinn is the new girl. Her mother sets up an afternoon with a girl from a family at church. Santana and Brittany and Quinn starting freshman year.

"Quinn I have good news for you." Mrs. Fabray announces as she enters the girls bedroom.

"What?" Quinn drones out. Not happy that her mother has woken her up early again.

"I've set up a playdate for next Saturday for you with that lovely girl from church."

"What mom? Why? I'm too old for playdates. I'm not five anymore." Quinn whines.

"Because Quinny you need to start making some friends and what better opportunity than this. Her family goes to our church and she goes to your school."

"But mom-"

"But nothing. She will be coming over next Saturday afternoon and you two will have a lovely time together. Understood?"

"Yes." Quinn grumbles through clinches teeth.

She throws her covers over her head angrily as her mother leaves the room.

* * *

"Santana." She stops at the sound of her name. "Come here I need to talk to you." The brunette turns and walks into the kitchen where her mother is sitting at the table.

"Yes mami."

"Don't make any plans for next Saturday with any of your friends. Okay?" Her mother tells her.

"Okay. But why? What are we doing?" She asks thinking that there's probably some family event happening.

"_We_ aren't doing anything. _You_ will be spending the afternoon at the Fabray's house." She explains to her daughter.

"What?" Santana scoffs. "Why?"

"Mrs. Fabray approached me after church the other day. She said that her daughter doesn't have any friends here. I assume you probably know this. She is new at your school this year, right?" Santana nods confirming it. "Judy thought it would be a good idea if you two spent time together and got to know each other."

Santana rolls her eyes. "She's not my friend. Do I have to? Yes, I may know who she is but we are not friends."

"Yes, you have to. Mrs. Fabray seems to think you will be a good influence on her."

"Doubtful." She crosses her arms over her chest.

"Santana."

"Fine. I'll go under one condition."

"What?" Her mother asks starting to get annoyed with her daughter.

"I'll go- but only if I can bring Brittany with me."

"That girl goes everywhere with you. It's like you two are attached at the hip."

"Not true." Santana defends. "Do you see her here now?"

"No, but it's still early." Mrs. Lopez looks down at her wrist watch. "It's only 9:30. And where were you going?"

Santana looks down at the floor. "Brittany's house." She mumbles.

"I rest my case." Her mother says around a smile. "I will inform Mrs. Fabray that you will be bringing Brittany with you next Saturday."

Santana raises her eyes back to her mother. "Thanks mami."

"Don't thank me." She says around a laugh. "Now get out of here and go have some fun."

"Okay." Santana turns and leaves.

"And stay out of trouble." Her mother yells after her.

"Okay." Santana yells back.

* * *

"Santana I expect you to be on your best behavior. And Brittany I want you to make sure Santana is." Mrs. Lopez tells the girls as the car pulls up next to the curb outside the Fabray household.

They both nod. "I will." They say in unison.

"Be nice and don't torture that poor Fabray girl. I know you aren't thrilled about this and I'm sure she isn't either." The girls both nod again. "Now get out of my hair. I have been anticipating any afternoon all to myself for a week now. Mrs. Fabray will bring you guys home after supper."

"Okay. Bye." Santana says as she pushes Brittany to exit the back seat of the car.

Yes, they both sat in the back seat.

"This is so gonna suck." Santana mutters as they make their way to the front door. The cold winter air not helping her mood any.

"I don't know. I think it could be fun." Brittany says as she skips up the sidewalk to the porch. "Come on slow poke." She looks back for Santana. She waits until the girl catches up to her on the porch before ringing the door bell.

Brittany stands there with a smile while Santana keeps her face as expressionless as possible. They wait for someone to answer the door.

"Hello girls." Mrs. Fabray says as she opens the door for them. "Come in. It's terribly cold and gloomy out there."

"Quinn's in the den setting up. I will go get her. Take your coats and shoes off and make yourselves at home." The woman spins on her heels and disappears somewhere into the house.

"This is a really nice house." Brittany whispers as she removes her shoes.

"Mine's nicer." Santana quips.

"Hello, ladies." Quinn appears before them.

"Hi Quinn." Brittany says happily. "You have a nice house."

"Thanks." She looks at Brittany curiously before her eyes slide over to Santana. "Santana."

"Quinn."

"Why don't you girls get settled I will bring the snacks in after a few minutes." Mrs. Fabray says as she peeks her head around the corner.

"Okay. Thanks mom." Quinn calls to her. "Lets go." She waves for them to follow her. They make there way through the house to the aforementioned den.

"What are we doing?" Santana asks.

"I thought we could watch a movie. There's not too much pressure involved with that. Have a seat." She offers. "So what movie do you want to watch?"

"What do you have?" Brittany asks.

"I'm not really sure. I don't watch many movies anymore. Disney movies I guess. Whatever else that my parents have. They are over there." Quinn points to a movie rack across the room.

"Let me see." Santana stands from her spot on the couch and goes to inspect all of the movies. She crouches down in front of the movies to get a better look. "What is this? It's just a bunch of boring adult movies Quinn. We can't watch any of these."

"She said there were Disney movies Santana." The blonde removes herself from her spot and goes over and kneels next to the brunette to look at the selection.

"And there are." Quinn adds. "I don't know. I just-"

"Nevermind Quinn, we got it." Santana tells her.

Brittany and Santana speak in hushed voice as Quinn stands on the opposite side of the room.

"We should watch this one." Brittany says.

"No, we just watched that like two weeks ago Britt." Santana reminds the blonde.

"What about this one?"

"I don't know. I'm not really feeling it. How about this?"

"Yay!" Brittany exclaims.

"Okay. Quinn, we picked one." They both stand. Brittany goes to reclaim a spot on the couch and Santana brings the movie they picked to Quinn.

She hands the DVD to Quinn and goes to sit next to Brittany. Quinn looks at the movie and then to the two of them sitting on the couch and then back at the movie in her hand.

"What? Put the movie in Quinn." Brittany tells her.

"This?" Quinn asks in disbelief.

"Yes, Quinn, that's the movie that we picked. Now put it in." Santana says condescendingly.

"Put it in." Brittany encourages.

Santana turns to Brittany. "That's what she said."

Brittany turns to face the brunette. Her eyebrows raised. An amused smile across her lips. "Santana." She scolds.

Santana smiles for the first time since they arrived. Smiling proudly that she got Brittany to smile.

Quinn stares at them not sure what to do. After a few seconds of them ignoring her, Quinn shuffles over to the DVD player and starts the movie up. She goes to take her seat on the couch. The only spot left. She's on one end of the couch and Santana is on the other with Brittany in between them.

The movie starts and Brittany bounces up and down excitedly clapping her hands together. "I love this movie."

"Shh Britt. I don't want to miss anything." Santana quiets her.

Quinn isn't paying that much attention to the beginning of the movie really. Her thoughts have taken over. Confusing her and making her reassess everything she thought she knew about the two girls sitting next to her. Mostly Santana.

Anything from the choice of movie to the difference she sees in Santana from school to now. First of all, she is like a completely different person. And was she the one to suggest that they watch Finding Nemo. Quinn never could have imagined that someone could adopt two different lives. On at school, in front of all of her friends. And a completely different one in the comfort of her own home. Well, not in her own home but when she is away from everyone at school.

She thinks that maybe she will have to adopt a similar attitude if she wants to survive high school. She could learn a lot from Santana. They could learn a lot from each other. If they played their cards right they could rule the whole school.

"Here's the snacks." Judy announces as she enters the room with a bowl of popcorn in one hand and a bag of assorted mini candy bars in the other.

"Thanks mom." Quinn says being pulled from her thoughts. She takes the snacks from her mother and the woman leaves the room immediately.

"Which do you want?" She offers both to Brittany.

Brittany looks over from the tv and without saying anything takes the bowl of popcorn from Quinn. She takes the bowl and sets it down on Santana's lap before turning her attention back to the tv. She scoots over until her side is pressed up against the brunette's. Without looking down she puts her hand in the bowl and brings some popcorn to her mouth. Santana's attention never once leaves the screen.

Quinn watches the whole thing play out.

They finish the movie without anymore interruptions. Quinn finally getting into the story on the screen along with the other two girls.

Quinn gets up to go put the movie away.

"So when's supper?" Santana's voice drifts through the room.

Quinn turns to look at her. She raises an eyebrow at her. "You just ate a bowl of popcorn."

"Don't judge me. I heard you chomping away at those candy bars. Plus, I didn't eat the whole thing. Brittany helped." She bites back.

"Okay. Fine. Dinner's a 5:30. You in a hurry to get out of here or something?"

"No." Santana lies. She totally wants to get out of the Fabray's house as soon as possible. She wants to go back to her house and spend the rest of the night with Brittany.

They both stare at each other.

"Hey, look guys, it's snowing." Brittany says breaking them from their staring contest. Santana follows Brittany's gaze out the window. There is about 2 inches of fresh snow on the ground. "I wonder when it started?"

"Probably while we were watching the movie." Quinn says.

"No shit." Santana says narrowing her eyes at Quinn.

Brittany nudges Santana with her elbow. "Be nice." She whispers.

Santana rolls her eyes. "Yeah, it probably started during the movie." She amends.

They watch the snow fall in silence for a few minutes. "You guys wanna see my room?" Quinn asks.

"Yay!" Brittany jumps to her feet. "Come on Santana." She holds her hand out for the brunette.

"Okay. Fine." She grabs Brittany's hand and lets the blonde pull her to her feet.

They follow Quinn up the stairs to her room. She swings the door open and they all step in.

Brittany and Santana look around for a few seconds taking everything in before saying anything.

"I love it." Brittany squeaks.

"What?" Santana blanches. "My room is totally better."

"This isn't a competition Santana." Brittany reminds her.

Santana crosses her arms over her chest. She thinks it's a competition. It will always be a competition. And she is determined to come out on top. It has been made clear now that Quinn is and will be her biggest competition all throughout high school.

"I like your room Quinn and I know Santana does too."

"Do not." Santana says under her breath.

"Thanks Brittany."

"So what-" Quinn starts.

"Supper's ready girls." Judy Fabray calls through the house.

"Nevermind, I guess. Lets go eat." Quinn says. And they all head downstairs to eat.

Supper goes rather smoothly. Judy asks them about Cheerios and school and boys. The usual mother questions. Santana is annoyed by the whole conversation. She just wants to eat and get this over with. Brittany chats away excitedly. And Quinn adds her two cents when necessary to please her mother.

After supper they all help clear up the dishes. Brittany looks out the window above the kitchen sink. "It's really snowing out there."

Santana comes over and stands next to Brittany. "Wow. It is."

About four inches over newly fallen snow now covers the ground. Mrs. Fabray comes over with a few more dishes. See peaks out the window after she sets the dishes on the counter. "Maybe you girls should stay the next." She says as she walks away.

Santana snaps her head to Brittany. Brittany feels her movements and turns to look at her. A sense of shock and alarm evident in Santana's eyes. She shakes her head back and forth frantically. Brittany rests a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure it will be fine." She eases.

"It's not gonna be fine, Brittany. I am not staying the night here." She growls through her teeth.

She turns away from Brittany with a huff.

* * *

"So what do you want to do?" Quinn asks. "I think we have two sleeping bags somewhere. We can set them up in the den."

"Oh hell no. I ain't sleeping in a sleeping bag. I'm not five. I need a good nights rest. And that won't happen if I'm sleeping on the floor." Santana practically yells.

"Okay. Well, what about you Brittany?"

The blonde shrugs. "It doesn't matter to me. I can sleep anywhere."

"Well, do you want to sleep on the couch then Santana. Brittany can sleep on the floor." Quinn offers.

Santana glares at Quinn. "Seriously Quinn. You have to have a guest room in this house. I'll sleep there."

"I do but-"

"I'll sleep there." Santana insists.

"Brittany, do you want to sleep down here or…?" Quinn isn't sure how to finish that question.

"Can I sleep in the guest room too?"

"I guess. But you will have to sleep on the floor. It's only a twin bed." She explains.

"That's fine. It'll be fun. Sleeping on the floor like a slumber party." She smiles at Quinn.

"Okay follow me. I'll show you the room."

They follow Quinn upstairs. She stops at a closet in the hallway and pulls out a sleeping bag. They continue down the hallway until Quinn opens a door on their right. They all slide in the room and look around. No one says anything. Santana goes over and takes a seat on the edge of the bed.

"This will work." Santana looks over to Quinn. The blonde throws the sleeping bag on the floor.

"Okay. Brittany, I will let you arrange that however you like."

"Thanks Quinn."

"Yep. I'm going over to my room to get ready for bed. Come over after you are done with that and I will find some clothes for you both to wear to bed."

"Okay." Brittany smiles at Quinn.

Quinn leaves the room for her own. Brittany smiles over at Santana sitting on the bed. "This won't be so bad." She tries.

"Brittany, I would much rather be at home in my own bed. This is not how I wanted to spend the evening."

"Okay. So what did you want to do tonight?" Brittany asks completely interested in Santana's answer.

"I don't know." She says shyly. "I was hoping we would get done with dinner here and then go home. Just the usual. Hang around at my house. Listen to music. Maybe watch a movie. I don't know."

Brittany step over to Santana so that she is standing directly in front of her. Santana looks up to Brittany's face. The blonde smiles. "That sounds like it could be fun." Brittany pretends to think about it.

"Britt, we do that stuff all of the time. Why are you debating whether it would be fun or not?"

"I'm not really." She smiles down at Santana. "Just messing with you. I would have loved to have done that with you."

Santana smiles at that. "Me too. But here we are stuck in this god awful house."

"I say we make the best of it. How about we go see about those pajamas?"

"Okay." Santana gets up from the bed. Brittany holds out her hand. Santana stares down at it hesitantly before she finally takes it. She lets Brittany lead her out of the guest room and into Quinn's room. They let go once they enter the room.

"Oh, hey. I got out a couple of t-shirt for you to wear but I didn't know if you wanted long pants or short to sleep in."

"I'll take shorts." Santana supplies.

"Really, it's winter. It can get cold in here at night."

"I'll be fine."

"Yeah, she's hot." Brittany adds.

Quinn and Santana both turn and look at Brittany.

"What? Santana gets hot when she sleeps." Brittany explains.

Quinn looks at Brittany suspiciously. Santana drops her eyesight to the floor a blush taking over her features.

Quinn shakes her head. "Do you want pants or shorts Brittany?" She pushes forward.

"Hmm." Brittany ponders the question for a minute. "I don't know. I doubt that your pants will fit me and probably not your shorts either. How about neither. I'll be good if I just have a long t-shirt."

"Umm- okay." Quinn agrees reluctantly. She turns around to find a longer t-shirt for Brittany to wear and shorts for Santana.

Santana nudges Brittany and gives her a look. _What are you doing? Are you serious? _She questions the blonde with her eyes. Brittany just shrugs. Santana rolls her eyes and turns her attention to Quinn.

"There you go. These should work." Quinn hands them the clothes. "Anything else you need?"

"No I don't think so." Santana tells her. "And if so I know where you are and I will be certain to come and bother you about it." She smirks at the blonde.

Brittany elbows her in the side. "We're good." Santana says and turns to leave. "Are you coming Britt?"

"Yep. Goodnight Quinn." Brittany says before she skips out of the room after Santana.

_Those two are a very strange pair. They shouldn't be good friends but somehow they are. _Quinn thinks as she climbs into bed.

Santana goes into the bathroom to change and lets Brittany change in the guest room. She pops back into the guest room and sees Brittany sitting on the bed.

"Aren't you gonna roll that thing out." Santana points down at the sleeping bag that is still rolled up on the floor.

"Oh yeah." Brittany hops off the bed and unrolls the sleeping bag and situates it on the floor how she wants it.

Santana makes her way across the room to the bed. She sets her clothes down on a chair that rests at the end of the bed. She looks back at Brittany on the floor, guilt running through her bones that she gets to sleep in the bed while Brittany has to sleep on the floor. If they were at her house that would never happen. They always sleep in the same bed when they are at each other's houses. But they can't here. The bed isn't big enough.

Santana gets up on the bed and crawls under the covers. Brittany crawls into the sleeping bag. "Do you want to talk or just go to sleep?" The blonde asks.

"Just sleep, I think. It's been a long day." Santana reaches for the lamp and turns the light off.

"Okay. Goodnight Santana."

"Night Britt."

A good ten minutes of silence goes by and Santana thinks that maybe Brittany has fallen asleep. "Hey Britt, you awake?" She whispers through the room.

"Yeah. I can't sleep."

"Me neither."

"You wanna talk?" Brittany offers.

"Not really." Santana tells her. It's silent for a few seconds. "Hey Britt?"

"Yeah."

"Get up here." Santana says as she scoots over an the small bed making room for Brittany.

The blonde climbs into bed next to her. She lays on her side next to Santana. Her elbow jabbing down into the mattress holding her head up. Her head resting on her fisted hand. "I was hoping you would say that."

Santana chuckles. "Yeah?"

"Yep."

"You know we shouldn't be doing this, here, in Quinn's house."

"Why not?" Brittany asks her.

"Because Brittany this is only for at my house or yours. We shouldn't do it anywhere else."

"Oh. But we're still going to, right?" Santana nods. "Okay." Brittany lays her left arm over Santana's stomach. The brunette sigh contently. Brittany smiles at the sound.

"Roll on your side." She whispers to Santana. The brunette does as she asks. Brittany adjusts her position until she is laying down behind Santana. She inches up to her and spoons her from behind. Her arm still around Santana's waist. Santana's left hand comes down and covers Brittany's.

"Goodnight Britt."

Brittany leans up a little until she can place a kiss just below Santana's ear. "Goodnight San." She whispers in her ear and slides back down into her position behind the brunette.

Not more than five minutes pass before they are both asleep.

* * *

Quinn has been awake for a good half an hour already. She wants to eat breakfast but her mother told her it was rude to eat before her guests. So now she has to wait for them to wake up.

A few more minutes pass and they still aren't wake yet. Getting impatient she decides to take matters into her own hands. Quinn makes her way up the stair towards the guest bedroom. She knocks on the door lightly and listen. She doesn't hear anything so she slowly opens the door just a crack. Just enough so she can see in.

The first thing she sees is the sleeping bag on the floor. It's empty. She thinks _that's weird. Where could Brittany be? She's not downstairs. Maybe she is in the bathroom. No the bathroom door was ajar when I walked passed._

Without anymore thought on the matter she pushes the door open a little further. What her eyes see next surprises her. She stops all motion and stares. Her mouth agape in surprise.

On the small bed on the opposite side of the room she finds Brittany. And Santana. The blonde girl on her back with Santana slumbering on top of her. Brittany's left hand rests comfortably on the small of Santana's back. The other lost somewhere beneath the blankets. The blankets however only covers their lower halves.

_I guess Brittany was right when she said Santana gets hot in her sleep. And now I know how she knew that. _Quinn thinks.

Santana in turn is laying face down, most of her body on top of Brittany. Her head is tucked up under Brittany's chin. Her right hand in a loose fist next to her face on Brittany's chest. Her left arm wraps up around towards the pillow and the top of Brittany's head.

_It doesn't look awkward or uncomfortable or anything like that. They look almost peaceful. In fact they look so comfortable that I don't want to wake them._

Quinn slowly and as quietly as she can shut the bedroom door. She makes her way back downstairs with a completely different mindset. She passes her mother on the way.

"What are you doing Quinny?" She asks her daughter.

"What? Nothing. Why?" Quinn glances at her mother.

"Oh, your friends aren't awake yet?"

"No." Quinn tells her a little harsher than she probably should.

"Why don't you wake them up then so all of you can have breakfast. It's later enough now. For heaven sakes it's after nine in the morning. They can't sleep all day."

"I don't want to bother them. Let them sleep. Not everyone gets up at five am everyday like you." She snaps at her mother.

"Okay." Judy draws out. She eyes her daughter up and down trying to figure out why she is so on edge. She's not usually like that. "Is everything alright sweetie?"

"I'm fine. I'm going to get something to eat." Quinn dismisses her and moves towards the kitchen.

"But, I told you to wait for your friends." Mrs. Fabray says as Quinn walks away from her.

* * *

"Morning Quinn." Brittany chirps as she enters the kitchen. Santana on her heels. "Did you sleep alright?" She asks Quinn.

Quinn is reading the obituary section of the local paper. "I slept alright. How did you two sleep?" She asks but doesn't look up from the paper. She thinks she already knows the answer anyway.

Brittany looks over to Santana who is now standing next to her. They both smile at each other. "Great." They both say in unison.

"Good. There's some cereal on the counter and milk in the fridge in you want. The snow stopped and they are plowing the streets now. My mom should be able to take you home sometime before lunch."

"Okay." Brittany responds. Santana moves around Brittany to get to the cereal. She picks up the two bowls on the counter and Quinn must have set out for the cereal.

Quinn looks up from the paper when she hears the noise. She watches them as they get something to eat. Santana pours herself a bowl and then pours a bowl for Brittany. At the same time, Brittany opens the fridge and gets out the milk and brings it over to Santana. She pours the milk into both bowls as Santana closes the box of cereal and sets it down on the counter. Brittany puts the milk away. And Santana grabs two spoons and both bowls and starts moving towards the table. Quinn quickly ducks her head back into the paper before Santana can see her watching. Brittany comes over and pulls out the two chairs that are across from Quinn. Santana sets down the cereal bowls. They sit down and start eating.

_Wow. They just did that little dance without saying a word to each other. How many times have they done that before? They are so in sync. My parents don't even move together like that. And they've been married 20 years. I've never seen anything like that._

Quinn peaks over the paper at the two girls now sitting across from her. Brittany sees her and smiles up at her in between spoonfuls. She smiles back. Santana though is oblivious or doesn't care. She just sits there looking down at her breakfast as she shovels spoonful after spoonful into her mouth.

Brittany nudges Santana with her elbow when Quinn's eyes shift to Santana. The brunette looks over at Brittany annoyed that she is interrupting her breakfast. Brittany nods in Quinn's direction and smiles. Santana looks across the table to Quinn and smiles. Quinn returns the smile before raising the paper in front of her face.

Quinn shakes her head back and forth lightly. The paper hiding her actions. Her eyes go wide for a second. _Unbelievable._ Then she goes back to reading the paper.


	2. Chapter 2

TQF: 2

Spring is just around the corner in Lima. The excitement of the occasion is in the air. Everyone in town is itching to be able to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring air.

After that first unplanned sleepover at Quinn's house during the unexpected snowstorm, Santana had been forced to hang out with the girl more and more. All their mothers' ideas.

Santana is looking out the window at a couple walking down the sidewalk pushing a stroller in front of them. Still all bundled up with that chill still in the springtime air. She smiles down at them as the pass by her house. She startles when there is a knock on her bedroom door.

"Santana." Her mother's voice floats through the door.

"Yeah." She replies and her mother pushes the door open. The girl spins towards her mother at the door. They glance at each other curiously for a moment. Both searching for something, neither know what that something might be though.

Her mother breaks the silence. "I thought Brittany was here?" She asks her daughter. She could have swore that she had heard the two of them talking and laughing earlier.

"Yeah, she had to go home." Santana explains. She looks back out the window.

"Oh. Okay. Well, I just came to tell you that lunch should be ready in about an hour." Her mother informs her.

"Okay. Thanks." Santana says absentmindedly.

"Yep." Her mother turns to go. Santana hears her footsteps as she exits.

"Mama?" Santana squeaks out.

"Yes?"

"What time is it?" Santana asks never turning away from the window.

Her mother's forehead scrunches together in confusion. She looks down at her watch. "11:15." She says. She waits for Santana to say something else. When she doesn't say anything she turns and leaves. Shutting her daughter's bedroom door behind her.

* * *

"The Fabray's will be coming over next Saturday afternoon for dinner." Santana's mother says casually as they sit and eat their lunch.

Santana looks up from her plate and rises an eyebrow at her mom for her to explain.

"They will be coming over and we will all have dinner. It will be wonderful. Me, you and your father. Quinn, and her mother, and her father. It will be a good chance for everyone to get to know each other better.

Santana rolls her eyes. The last thing she wants to do is hang out with her parents, and a girl she isn't exactly friends with, and that girls parents. But she knows she doesn't have a choice so she doesn't fight against it. She returns to her lunch in silence.

Her mother doesn't share the same feeling though. "So why did Brittany have to go home?" She asks into the silent kitchen.

Santana shrugs. "She had to help her mom with something. I don't know what." She explains.

"Oh. Is she coming back later?" Her mother ventures.

"I don't know. Maybe after dinner."

"Okay." Mrs. Lopez pushes her chair out and takes her empty plate to the sink. "That girl is one strange cookie sometimes, but I honestly love it when she is around. She makes everything seem easier and lighter somehow." Her mother rambles to no one in particular as she rinses her plate.

Santana smiles.

* * *

"Hello Brittany." Mrs. Lopez greets as the blonde sneaks in the patio door.

Brittany stills. She slowly swivels her head to where the voice came from. She smiles guilty. "Oh, hi Mrs. Lopez, I didn't see you sitting there." She casually slides the patio door closed behind herself. Unsure of what to do or say next.

Mrs. Lopez smiles at the girl. "Santana's up in her room."

Brittany smiles thankfully now that she has permission to continue on her mission. "Thank you Mrs. Lopez." Say she politely as she makes her way to the stairs.

* * *

She pushes the door open and looks around the room. She spots Santana on the bed, lying on her stomach, headphones on, listening to music, while she reads a magazine. Brittany smiles. She silently closes the bedroom door. And as silently as possible is tip-toes towards the bed. When she is a few inches away she jumps on the bed, onto her knees, next to Santana.

The brunette spins around alarmed. Now lying on her side with her right hand held to her chest trying to slow her now racing heart beat. With her free hand she pulls her headphones off of her head. "Brittany you shouldn't do stuff the like that, you scared the shit out of me. I nearly had a heart attack." She says dramatically.

For Brittany's part she just giggles. "Sorry." She giggles some more. "It was so funny though. You should have seen your face." Santana rolls her eyes. "Come on." Brittany says thinking Santana is just being her dramatic self.

Without any warning Brittany plops down, practically tackling Santana, lying on top of her, and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. Santana resist. "Brittany." She whines.

"What?"

Santana sighs and shakes her head. Brittany wraps her arms tighter and squeezes Santana tighter when Santana doesn't protest any further. Sometime she thinks it so too easy to get Santana to bend to what she wants.

After a few seconds of the embrace Brittany loosen her hold. She scoots over so that she is laying next to Santana on her stomach. "So what are we reading?" The blonde asks.

Santana smiles. "Just some gossip magazine." She comments as she rolls onto her stomach again.

"I think you might have an addiction." Brittany says teasingly.

"You might be right about that." Santana agrees.

"Are we gonna watch a movie tonight?" Brittany asks curiously. It's sort of the ritual on the weekend. That if they aren't at a party or have other obligations, they always spending the evening at one or the other house watching movies.

"Yeah sure." Santana says nonchalantly. Brittany bounces up and down excitedly. "Britt, I'm trying to read here." Santana whines.

"Okay." Brittany bounces off of the bed and skips over to the other side of the room to where all of the DVD's are. She looks over them seriously for a few minutes. "How about this one." She says over her shoulder as she holds up a DVD for Santana to see.

Santana shifts and looks over at the movie in Brittany's hand. "I don't know. I'm not really in the mood for that one. How about we watch it next Saturday?" She says before thinking. Brittany puts the movie back.

All of sudden she remembers. "Oh crap." She huffs out.

"What is it?" Brittany asks worried.

"Nothing. Well, it's not nothing but I don't know if we can watch that next Saturday."

"Why not?" Brittany interrupts before Santana can explain further.

"Quinn and her family are coming over next Saturday to have dinner with my family."

"Oh." Brittany breathes out with a sad tone.

Santana doesn't miss it. "But maybe you can come over afterward. Like later that night. After they all leave."

"Yeah?" Brittany asks, the enthusiasm returning to her voice.

"Yeah. I don't see why not." Santana shrugs.

"Alright." Brittany agrees happily.

Santana puts her magazine away. "Lets pick something to watch tonight." She gets up from the bed and goes to stand next to Brittany in front of the movies.

* * *

Next Saturday rolls around and Santana isn't very happy about it. It's the middle of the afternoon and the Fabray's are expected to be there any moment. Dinner is set for six pm and Santana hopes that the whole evening goes as planned. After dinner the adults will probably hang around for an hour or two drinking and talking. She'll be forced to hang out with Quinn.

The girl isn't all terrible. She has her moments but Santana would rather be hanging out with a different blonde. She promised Brittany that they could hang out after the Fabray's leave and it is her personal mission to try to get them out her front door as soon as possible.

Dinner goes fairly smoothly. Everyone making small talk and talking about all the small town gossip. Typically stupid dinner conversation Santana thinks.

After dinner the adults retire to the den. Drinks in hand. Santana sneaks over to her father liquor cabinet and pour some scotch into her glass. "You want some?" Santana whispers. She turns to where Quinn is standing behind her. The blonde shakes her head.

"I'm not old enough to drink." Quinn whispers back.

Santana chuckles. "I know that stupid. Come on live a little. What's the worst that could happen?" She tries to coax Quinn.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea." Quinn whispers again.

"Suit yourself." Santana says taking a sip of her drink. Laughter erupts from the next room. She rolls her eyes. "This might be harder than I thought." She gruffs.

"What might be?" Quinn asks curiously.

"Getting you and your family out of my house." Santana glares at her.

"Why?" Comes out of Quinn's mouth before she can stop it. She knows it's not polite to pry but curiosity has got the best of her.

"I have better things to be doing than being the excuse that our parents use to get together and drink and gossip."

"Oh really. Like what?" Quinn jabs.

Santana surely wasn't excepting that to come from Quinn. "I have plans with Brittany." She shrugs.

"Hmm." Quinn hums.

It's not lost on Santana. "What? You got a problem with that or something?" Santana almost threatens her.

Quinn shakes her head. "No. Not really. It's just interesting. That's all."

"Why?" The Latina questions.

"I don't know." The blonde shrugs. She has a few thoughts on why it's interesting. But she isn't going to be letting Santana know about them, at least not now.

"Whatever. Seeing as this might take a while-" She waves her hand in the direction of the other room. "-how about we go to my room?"

"Okay." Quinn shrugs and follows Santana up the stairs to her bedroom.

Santana opens the door and flicks the light on. "Now don't think that you have some sort of privilege, or that we are friends, just because you have seen my room. Because you don't. This is a one time deal. I just feel more comfortable up here than down there with those fools." She turns towards Quinn who is standing in the doorway still. "Got it?"

Quinn doesn't answer her though. Her eyes are wide. Santana's brow creases. "Hello. Do you understand? What's wrong with you?" Santana waves her hand in front of Quinn's face.

Quinn puts her finger to her lips. The alarm in her eyes not going away. "Shh." She whispers. Santana shakes her head at Quinn's crazy antics. Finally, Quinn points over Santana's shoulder.

Santana spins around. Being distracted by talking to Quinn, Santana hadn't noticed someone in her bed, when she turned the light on. She hadn't noticed someone sleeping on her bed. Not someone, Brittany.

Without thinking Santana's hand swats at the light switch again, dark swallowing the room once more. "What are you doing?" Quinn whispers from behind Santana. They are both standing in the doorway. The only light entering the room from the hallway.

"Shhh." Santana hisses.

"I don't think you woke her." Quinn comments.

"Shhh." She turns to Quinn this time to get her to shut up.

"Santana?" A weak and groggy voice comes from the room.

Santana sends Quinn a death glare. "Guess you were wrong." She whispers.

"Santana." Brittany says again. This time more clearly. She sits up in bed and rubs her eyes. She can barely see to shadow in the doorway. "What's going on?" She asks.

"Nothing." She turns back towards Brittany. "I'm gonna turn the light on now. Okay?"

"Okay." Brittany braces herself. Santana flicks on the light once more. Brittany groans and then squints at them.

Santana moves over towards the bed. "Britt, what are you doing here?" She sits down next to her.

The blonde shrugs. "I thought I would surprise you. I was gonna just wait her until you were done downstairs. But, I think I fell asleep." She yawns.

Santana giggles. "I think you did." She pushes some hair back, that had been covering Brittany's face, behind her ear.

Quinn watches this transpire is silence. The voice in her head, however, isn't silent. _Giggles. Santana Lopez giggling. I feel like I'm in the twilight zone or something._

"Hi Quinn." Brittany greets when she realizes the girl standing in the doorway. "Come in, shut the door, sit down." She instructs. Quinn goes as she's told. Not sure what else to do.

"So-" Brittany turns her attention back to Santana. "-when are we going to watch our movie?"

Santana looks over at the door and sighs. "I don't know. They are down there drinking and gossiping. It could be awhile."

"Oh."

"Wait." Quinn speaks up. Brittany and Santana turn to where she is sitting and wait for her to continue. "Santana, do your parents know she is here?" Quinn asks.

They both turn to each other and smile. "No." Santana says without taking her eyes off of Brittany. Reveling in a little secret that Quinn doesn't know anything about. "But it's fine."

"Yeah. Mr. and Mrs. Lopez love me." Brittany adds. "Right, Santana? Your mom says I'm like a second daughter to her or something. I don't really get it but-" She trails off.

"Yeah." Santana blushes a little when she confirms this for Quinn.

Quinn takes in this new information. "Okay."

"Santana." Her mother's voice booms from the hallway.

"Great. Now what?" Santana mutters.

Her mother knocks on the door before barging into the room. All three girls look at her expectantly. "I have good news. Quinn is going to be spending the night." She says excitedly.

"What?" Santana and Quinn say at the same time.

Mrs. Lopez look from where she was smiling at Quinn to her daughter. "Oh. Hi Brittany. I didn't know you were here." She smiles at her. "So, yeah, Quinn is going to be staying the night so her parents can have the rest of the night to themselves."

"Eww mom." Santana groans.

"What?" She shakes her head. "Anyway, Quinn you can either sleep in here or in the guest room. It's up to you." She says and then leaves the room abruptly.

As soon as her mother is gone Santana cradles her head in her hands and lets out a loud groan. "I swear she goes shit like this just to annoy me."

Brittany moves her hand to rub Santana's back soothingly.

All Quinn can think is _Wow. This is so normal that Mrs. Lopez didn't eye bat an eye when she saw Brittany sitting there. Blankets wrapped around her waist and everything. She didn't say a thing other than hello. How often is Brittany here. And what's with that second daughter stuff._

Brittany breaks Quinn from her thoughts. "Quinn do you want to watch the movie with us?"

"Sure."

* * *

There watching the movie now. Quinn sitting in the chair still. She is admittedly impressed with Santana's room. It fairly big. Bigger than her room at home. She has a king sized bed and the tv and a huge closet. Quinn's might even be a little jealous. The Lopez have money, this she knows for sure.

The room is dark except for the glow that comes from the tv. Now that night has fallen the house has cooled down considerable. Santana threw a blanket at Quinn before they started the movie knowing how cool it could get in her room.

Santana is on her back, on her bed. She's not just laying on the bed. She has her head and shoulders propped up and resting against the headboard. A relaxed and peaceful expression written across her face. She watches the movie without a care in the world.

It might, also, have something to do with the girl laying next to her. Or rather the girl curled up into her side, next to her. Brittany lays on her side. Her had resting casually on Santana's shoulder. Her left arm draped across Santana's stomach. Her fingers playing subconsciously with the hem of Santana's pajama shirt.

The blanket that is draped over them only reaches their waists.

"Quinn, do you like the movie so far?" Brittany asks. Brittany and Santana have seen it before and when they found out that Quinn had never seen it, of course Brittany insisted that they had to watch it.

"Yep. So far so good." She replies glancing over at them. She still can't believe what she sees. How relaxed and how content they seem with each other.

The rest of the movie continues without anyone saying anything else. When it's finished it's late, really late.

"Where do you want to sleep, Quinn?" Brittany asks. "You can sleep in here with us. But you'll have to sleep on the floor. Santana has an air mattress though so it won't be bad." She has rolled over away from Santana so that she can look at Quinn when she speaks with her. "I think the guest room is sorta creepy. I slept in there once. But only once. It was sorta scary. I never slept in there again."

"I guess I can sleep in here." Quinn shrugs. The idea of sleeping in the guest room doesn't sound to appealing now that Brittany has said that it creeped her out.

"I'll go get the air mattress." Santana announces as she stands from the bed.

"Okay." Quinn says.

"Santana." Brittany says as the brunette reaches the door.

She turns so she is facing Brittany. "Yeah?"

"Can you get me a glass of water?" She asks shyly.

Santana smiles. "Sure Britt." She turns and is out the door in a second.

Brittany turns to Quinn. "So, do you like Santana's house? It's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It's big. I like it. Honestly, I'm kinda jealous." Quinn admits.

"Yeah."

They sit in an awkward silence until Santana comes back. They set up the air mattress on the opposite side of the room from the bed. Brittany goes to the hall closet to get sheets and blankets.

When Brittany comes back she hands the blankets to Quinn so she can set them up how she wants them. Santana throws a pillow at her from the bed before climbing in herself. Brittany sips from her water glass as she watches Quinn set up her bed.

"Britt, can you shut off the light when Quinn's done? I'm tired and I want to go to sleep." Santana asks as she nuzzles further into bed. She pulls the blankets all the way up to her chin.

Brittany nods and waits for Quinn to finish. When she does she walks across the room to shut the lights off. She sneaks back to the bed careful to next step on Quinn. "Goodnight Quinn." She says as she settles into bed next to Santana.

"Goodnight Brittany." She pauses for a moment. "Goodnight Santana." She ventures.

A quiet goodnight comes from Santana as she rolls onto her side. Her back towards Brittany. Brittany sighs and rolls over with her.

"You should be nicer to Quinn." She whispers in Santana's ear. Santana hums in response. Brittany scoots closer to her until her front is pressed firmly against Santana's back. She slips her hand over Santana's side and then up until she can find Santana's hand tucked into her chest. She gently rest her hand on top of Santana's, mirroring her position. "She's really not that bad." The blonde whispers again.

"I know." Santana sighs. "Can we just go to sleep?"

Brittany nods and nuzzles her face into Santana neck. It's not long before they are both asleep.

Quinn however doesn't find sleep that easily. She listened to the two girls on the bed. Even though they were whispering she heard what they said. She also listened as they situated themselves in the bed. From where she is laying she cannot see how they are positioned but she thinks that they are probably snuggled up to one another.

But she finally does fall asleep thinking about the two girls on the bed across the room. At first, she thinks that even though she doesn't understand it, it's cute. She thinks it's probably a side of Santana that no one sees outside the walls of this house. She thinks there has to be comfort there between them that she wishes she could find with someone. To be able to feel so comfortable, to completely relax, to be held by someone else. To know that that person cares. She's jealous that they seem to have that. She falls asleep thinking these things. When morning comes she hopes she isn't bitter.

* * *

When morning does come she wakes up before them. No surprise there really. She sits up and stretches before standing. It's now that she gets her first real glimpse of morning. And the first real glimpse of the two of them.

She smiles at first. They do look cute. She looks closer. They are in a similar position as the last time. Brittany on her back. But this time Santana is on her side snuggled into Brittany's right side. Her head resting on the blonde's chest. It's all fairly innocent, Quinn thinks.

She's about to turn away when she sees movement. Her eyes shift to Brittany's stomach. The blonde's shirt moves again. It's then that she realizes that Brittany's shirt is moving because Santana's hand is moving under it. Quinn becomes uncomfortable at that. She can't see the Latina's hand but she doesn't need to. She can imagine her fingers rubbing back and forth over Brittany's bare skin. She stands there frozen, staring. It's more intimate than innocent.

Santana is awake. Groggy but awake. Her fingers trace over Brittany abs almost unconsciously. She knows she's doing it though. She is trying to wake the blonde up.

She moves around a little until her face is an inch from Brittany's ear. Never opening her eyes. "Britt." She whispers in her ear. Her fingers still grazing gently across soft flesh. "Wake up." She whispers.

Quinn watches on. Now feeling like she needs to leave but can't. Santana doesn't know she is standing there. She doesn't even know if Santana remembers that Quinn slept in her room. Or that Quinn is in her house.

It doesn't matter though. Santana's mind is elsewhere. When Brittany doesn't wake up she tries a different approach. She whispers "Britt" once more before lightly pressing her lips into Brittany's neck, just below her ear.

Quinn's eyes widen in shock. That was definitely not as innocent as anything else she has seen so far.

Brittany stirs. "Mmhm." She purrs.

Santana smiles victoriously. Proud that she was able to wake Brittany the way that she did. "Morning." She whispers.

"Morning." Brittany mumbles back a second later.

Santana tickles her fingers against Brittany's stomach. The blonde squirms underneath her. "Santana stop. That tickles." She breathes out.

Santana doesn't stop. She tickles her stomach and then sits up. She climbs on top of Brittany straddling her and attacks her sides. Oblivious to Quinn standing on the other side of the room.

"San-tana." Brittany says around her laughter. "Stop. I'm gonna-"

Quinn clears her throat. Brittany and Santana both turn to look to where the noise came from. Brittany smiles at the blonde. "Oh. Morning Quinn." She says.

Santana freezes for a second and wonders how long Quinn had been standing there. "Morning." Santana grunts out as she rolls her eyes in misery. She rolls over off of Brittany and sink into the bed next to her. She runs her hands over her face in frustration. "How about we go get something to eat."

"Oh. I'm starving. Good idea." Brittany comments and gets out of bed. Quinn follows her out the door. Santana stay back for a second before she makes her way down to the kitchen to cook breakfast for Brittany and Quinn.


End file.
